


Newton's Third Law

by snowkind



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Ballet, Cheating, Established Jane Foster/Thor, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Build, Thor is kind of a jerk at times, Thorki - Freeform, ballet dancer loki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-10-25 02:09:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10754556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowkind/pseuds/snowkind
Summary: The orchestra grew louder and Loki danced faster.He could feel the strings of the violins start to fray with each rapid gesture the violinists made, each heaving breath of air the trumpeters blew, and each pounding beat of the drums threatening to rupture the Mylar film of the drum head.The whole theater seemed to creak and groan as the seconds dragged on, and it wasn’t long before Loki was completely blind to what was happening.His body reverted to the only thing it had been drilled to do: dance.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [YuliceChan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/YuliceChan/gifts).



> I started this work a loooooooong time ago but never had the motivation to pick it up again and finish it even though I like the premise quite a bit, so I figure if I post it here I might feel a little inspiration to continue writing it to completion! Please bear with me though as I know if will take quite a long time for this work to end, but I hope you enjoy reading! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please don't hesitate to let me know!
> 
> I don't own any of the characters unless stated otherwise.
> 
> Love,
> 
> May ( ˘ ³ ˘ )♥
> 
> P.S. The story is most likely embellished with various spelling errors and grammar issues... I tend to overlook a few things while writing and even re-reading! If you happen to spot any problems, please let me know so I may fix it! Thank you!

            “—eyson…

             Mr. Laufeyson.

             ...

             Loki.”

The male snapped his eyes open and found himself sitting in his dressing room with a perturbed look reflected back at him in the vanity mirror. A quiet knocking thrummed through the door, and Loki watched the handle shake. With a heavy feeling of dread swiftly filling his stomach, he stood up from his chair.

            “Mr. Laufeyson, are you almost ready? The show is starting soon.”

The muffled voice caused Loki to freeze in his tracks. His eyes flitting from the door handle to his coat that hung near the door. He raised a hand and brought his fingertips to the edge of his coat, the wooly fabric just barely grazing his fingers. He could leave.

Just leave and never come back.

            “Mr. Laufeyson?”

Loki immediately retracted his arm and moved to grab the handle instead, the cool metal burning his skin as he swung the door open. A bright light suddenly blinded the male, forcing him to stagger backwards and let a wince of pain involuntarily emit from his thin lips.

Music filled the air, the crisp notes of bows against strings instantly forcing his body to contort forwards and backwards as he began to leap with strained grace. An ear splitting ringing burrowed into his ears as he danced, and no matter how much he desired to cover his ears he continued to dance as if it were nothing.

It was always nothing.

The world around him began to spin while he balanced himself on the point of his foot, and everything quickly turned into a blur.

One spin.

Two spins.

Three spins.

Lights flashed and turned into hazy, lingering trails. The music grew muffled and took on a dissonant tune. A single spotlight seared his skin. An oppressing darkness shrouded with a sense of trepidation battered against him.

The battle of light and dark.

Loki felt his pulse quicken and sweat begin to form at his brow. He grimaced when he landed awkwardly back onto the stage after springing into the air, and yet he continued to dance as if it were nothing.

It was always nothing.

Other dancers emerged from the darkness not long after and Loki soon found himself in the midst of a flurry of faceless statues. They mocked every movement he made and in spite of their featureless countenances, he could tell they were boring holes into him with contempt and derision—and yet he continued to dance as if it were nothing.

It was always nothing. 

The orchestra grew louder and Loki danced faster.

He could feel the strings of the violins start to fray with each rapid gesture the violinists made, each heaving breath of air the trumpeters blew, and each pounding beat of the drums threatening to rupture the Mylar film of the drum head.

The whole theater seemed to creak and groan as the seconds dragged on, and it wasn’t long before Loki was completely blind to what was happening.

His body reverted to the only thing it had been drilled to do: dance.

At last, after what seemed to be an eternity, the curtains came to a close and reopened again with the roaring sound of applause. Each dancer was introduced to the crowd and by the time Loki took his spot on the center, the clamor had grown so loud that it shook his very bones and dulled his other senses aside from hearing. He had forced his lips into a smile at this point, and the muscles on his face began to scream from a throbbing pain similar to the sharp, stabbing pain he felt in his legs.

The hidden crowd began to throw flowers onto the stage to show their appreciation.

Roses flew in from the shadow and landed near his feet. His eyes, naturally drawn to the soaring objects, widened as the vibrant, red petals liquefied and pooled around him. The liquid quickly soaked into his shoes and gradually began to crawl up his legs, thin lines of red coursing through his tights while they continued upwards. He tried to move away but found his entire lower body paralyzed.

He tried to free his feet from his shoes but found the stems of the roses growing at an unprecedented rate, thickening into snarling curls.

He couldn’t escape.

The thorns dug into his pale skin, digging into him until droplets of blood formed.

And yet he continued to smile as if it were nothing.

It was always…

 _Nothing_.

The harsh thin light glared through the windows and Loki sat up with a start.

A cool sheen of sweat covered his skin. He shivered in the morning cold and closed his eyes for a moment to slow down his breathing.

He got up from the bed and began to get ready.

In less than an hour he would be at the studio, dancing as it if were nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

            “Know how to make a Liquid Cocaine?”

The words left the woman’s mouth before she even slid onto her chair. She immediately dropped her arms onto the counter as if they were made of heavy lead and closed her eyes soon after.

            “Rough day?” Thor replied with a modest grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. He took a shot glass out from under the counter and set it in front of the stranger.

A breathy laugh escaped her lips as her eyes fluttered open again. Thor would not be ashamed to admit that the woman was quite attractive in spite of her disheveled appearance and the other indisputable fact that he was already in a relationship.          

            “Disastrous.”

He laughed heartily and began to pour her the dangerous concoction fated to have anyone who dared take a sip either bouncing off the walls or passing out onto the floor in a matter of minutes. When he finished pouring, he moved the shot closer to the other and mindlessly picked up an empty glass to polish. The woman seemed grateful for his swiftness and without hesitation downed the shot before he could even blink.

            “Another? Or maybe two.” She muttered softy, a fiery spark now inhabiting her predatory eyes.

Thor raised an eyebrow of amusement at the female’s vigor and gladly replaced the empty glass with another shot of the vile drink. Though he wasn’t the biggest fan of Jägermeister, he admired the woman’s endurance and actually felt charmed by her hardiness. Funny how he could be so easily drawn to someone in just a few minutes of interaction.

            “So where’s your nametag? I don’t think I’ve seen you behind the counter before.” 

            “I think I prefer my anonymity. I’m not the hugest fan of people seeking me out.”

            “Oh? And why is that? Too tiring to reject drunk girls?” 

            “Not at all. Fortunately I’ve been given the shifts where I avoid that noise.”         

            “Are you… saying you swing the other way?”

            “I’m saying that I like to keep my business to myself. And you?”

            “Am I a lesbian?”

            “I meant are you tired of rejecting people, but if you’d like to answer that question then by all means.”

She laughed and set her emptied glass down, leaning forward so that he could start to catch a whiff of her alcohol tainted breath. 

            “What makes you think I’ve been rejecting people?”

            “I doubt a pretty lady like you has **not** had to break a few hearts here or there.”

            “I think it’s pretty pathetic if a guy gets his heart broken over a little ‘no’.”

Thor grinned and responded with a shrug while he refilled her glass. 

            “I’m Sif.”

He looked up into her smiling face and watched her finish off the shot with ease. She let out a contented sigh, her face now sporting a pale shade of red, and set the glass down onto the counter. A devious smile took hold of her lips and she reached forward to place a gentle hand on his as if expecting something from him.

            “And I’m taken.” He replied quickly, alerted by her touch.

            “But she’s not here.” Sif replied in a heartbeat, her sharp eyes never leaving him.

            “No, but my shift ends in about an hour and I’m going to be seeing her.”

            “So we have an hour then?”

Thor paused at her comment and felt his throat tighten for a split second. The unrelenting woman proved to charm him more than he had anticipated, and he almost succumbed to her adamant personality if not for the sudden clamor that interrupted his train of thought. His gaze broke away from her and he directed his attention to the shouting men cheering about the great play they had just witnessed on the small television in the corner of the room. Key word: _almost_.


	3. Chapter 3

The next hour flew by in a swirling, hot blur and the next thing Thor knew he was out on the sidewalk with the manager of the bar yelling about how drinking with a customer was highly unprofessional, and almost turning the bar into a strip club even more so. It was expected that he would have to look through the newspapers to find a new job tomorrow morning, but at the moment the male felt too dizzy with sweet intoxication that he couldn’t really stand upright or process the sight of someone else simply standing in the **middle** of the street. Granted it _was_ some unholy hour of the night and there were bound to be zero cars zipping down the desolate street, but that was obviously not the case when a roaring engine came resounding through the night.

At first he perceived the noise to be just a weird figment of his imagination, but the sight of a blinding headlight slowly growing larger and larger made reality all the more concrete and grave when Thor realized that the stranger he had seen idling in the street seemed obstinate to move from the ground.

            “Hey!” He shouted at the shadowy figure, vision focusing in and out as he tried hard to concentrate on the other.

The bright light of the oncoming car came hurtling towards them and only appeared to be gaining speed with every second.

            “Hey!” Thor shouted again. The profound gravity of the situation sunk into his mouth and left a foul taste. He hastily stepped onto the road and pushed his entire weight off each stride he took in an attempt to propel himself forward quicker and tackle the person out of the way.

When Thor opened his mouth again to give some sort of futile, guttural warning, the hood of the car came into view in the corner of his eye. The next few moments passed in a blink of an eye as he felt a bone-shattering force ram into the left side of his body, causing him to roll off the side of the car with his back crashing into the side mirror of the car and taking it with him after finally skidding onto the road face down.

The pain was quick to paralyze the grown male and his whole entire head seemed to swim in a dizzying sea of numbed discomfort. A high-pitched ringing noise was the only sound to fill his ears, and his vision faded from the muddled world around him to an unnerving darkness.

He didn’t even realize he had stopped breathing after landing on the ground until his chest started to rise and fall in rapid succession without experiencing the relief of sweet air. The ability to instruct his brain to let him take in some oxygen failed miserably and ultimately forced Thor to roll onto his back despite his body’s unwavering reluctance to move.

            “Oh my God…”

Were the first muffled words he could distinctly make out during his transition onto his back, and his eyesight started to come back to him to the point where he could make out a cluster of colors, who he assumed were people, starting to gather on the sidewalk.

            “Oh my God… we… we h-hit…. I think I’m going to pass out…”

            “No, um. Christine? Sweetie? I don’t think you are fully taking into account that there’s two unconscious bodies on the ground right now and I sure as Hell don’t need a third one so please… be a good girl and go into that bar and call an ambulance?”

            “O…Okay…”

            “Atta’ girl.”

With the slight turn of his head, though his neck screamed in a burning pain, he could see the lower halves of a woman and man who were presumably the occupants of the car. He watched in dry silence as the female stumbled towards the sidewalk, leaving him to explore the remaining pair of legs. Nice shoes—were those Berluti?

Thor watched with half-lidded eyes as the male began to pace around the car. Finally closing his eyes and succumbing to the exhaustion and trauma, Thor could just barely latch onto the other male’s conversation he was now carrying on through phone.

            “Pepper! Funny thing… I kind of got into an accident and… can you meet me here? There’s an ambulance on the way.”


	4. Chapter 4

The world materialized into vision with a jolt. White. There was white everywhere and an overbearing, disinfectant smell infiltrating his nostrils. A steady beeping sound came from the monitor next to his bed, a strike contrast to the rapid throbbing in his head.

He attempted to sit up from his reclined position but soon let out a sharp cry when a stinging pain pulsated through his left arm. He looked down and saw an ugly, bulky cast firmly secured around his arm.

            “Okay, and here’s my card if you need to call me for anything.”

            “Thank you… I’ll be sure to keep in touch.”

Thor’s attention snapped to the quiet conversation he heard on the other side of the hospital door. He blinked slowly and watched the faint shadows move behind the frosted glass before flickering his eyes to the doorknob as it began to turn.

            “Oh! You’re… awake! How are you feeling?” A female entered the room with a taut smile.

Thor parted his lips to respond, found that his throat had gone inhumanely dry, closed his mouth, and furrowed his eyebrows together instead.

            “Ah, here. Drink this, you don’t need to talk just yet… Take your time.” She pulled a water bottle from her bag and turned the cap off before handing it to him.

Giving the female a slight nod of the head, he gratefully took the bottle with his right hand and shakily brought it to his chapped lips. While he drank, the woman inched closer to the bed and tentatively placed her hands on the edge. Her fingers began to twiddle with the crumped fabric of the bed, and he could see the concern scribbled all over her face.

            “Jane,” Thor started and rested the bottle on his thigh.

            “What happened?” Jane looked away for a second and gently gnawed on her lower lip.

            “I got a call from your work saying you had gotten into an accident. Some guy… Well he’s not just _some_ guy if you’re talking about billionaire Tony Stark… I guess he thought it would be fine if he had a couple of drinks and then bail on the party to show off his ride to some girl… well she’s not just _some_ girl if you’re talking about reporter Christine Everhart from the Vanity Fair Magaz-”

            “Jane.”

            “Y-Yes?” She looked at him with a startled expression.

            “I wasn’t the only one who got hit, where’s the other person?”

            “Oh, he’s…”

            “He’s not dea—”

            “No, no! Thank God he’s not.”

            “…Good.”

Jane sighed and reached over to recap the water bottle before taking hold of his right hand.

            “I was so scared _you_ were…” Her voice broke and she shut her eyes.

            “You know I’m harder to kill than getting hit with a car going 20 miles over the speed limit… especially since I’ve got training with those protein shakes you make for me in the mornings.” He chuckled lightly and squeezed Jane’s hand.

            “Oh shut up!” She laughed softly and brought his hand to her lips.

            “You still haven’t answered my question, how are you feeling?”

            “Truthfully? I’m in a lot of pain and discomfort and my whole body feels horribly sore.”

Jane let out a mixture between a whimper and a groan and squeezed Thor’s hand tightly.

            “Do you want me to get the doctor? Maybe I can find you some pain-killers.”

            “No, I think I’ll be fine. I’ll just sleep the discomfort off.” He flashed his girlfriend a smile and pulled her closer to give her a kiss.

            “Good, sleep is good.” She smiled into their kiss and sprinkled a few more pecks onto his cheeks and forehead.

            “What time is it?”

            “Almost six.”

            “You have work starting in an hour!”

            “I know, but I’m more than happy to call in and let the school know there’s been an emergency. I want to stay by your side.”

            “Jane… Work just started for you and I don’t want to get in the way.”

            “You’re _never_ in the way!” She exclaimed and squeezed his hand again.

            “You must be tired.”

            “Probably not as tired as you.”

            “How about you call in and then go home to take a rest?”

            “I want to stay here though.”

            “And I love you and care for you and want you to get home and sleep and not worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

            “Thor…”

            “I’m serious! Teaching already deals a lot of stress on your body and normally _you’re_ the one advocating getting more rest and liver a healthier lifestyle. So where’s _that_ Jane when I need her?”

She scoffed in response, her lips curling into a smile.

            “Fine… are you sure you’ll be okay?”

Thor nodded in response and kissed Jane’s hand.

**◆** **◆** **◆**

Thor found his mind too preoccupied with a buzzing adrenaline to fall back asleep. He could make out the first cool rays of light through the shuttered window, and could start to hear New York stretch with life as the day started. He stared at the ceiling for quite some time before finally deciding to get out of bed. Sitting around felt awkward and useless, and he was the type of person who always had to constantly be doing _something_.

With a few grunts and winces and a couple of stumbles, Thor managed to leave his room. He couldn’t remember if Jane had said who else got hit. Should he ask? Was it even his business to be asking?

         “Hey! You shouldn’t be out of your bed, what are you doing?”

Thor turned his head around to see a nurse standing at the end of hallway.

Crap.

         “Get back to your room!” 

Thor picked up his pace to a quick hobble, and rounded the corner. 

         “Hey!!!” 

He could hear the light squeak of the nurse’s shoes against the tiled floor, and then looked at the door behind him. 

_‘Laufeyson, L.’_

Using his free arm, Thor entered the room and closed the door silently. He crouched and waited until he could hear the frantic patter of shoes grow distant and then into silence.

         “If I were a cat…” A voice mumbled behind him.

Thor stiffened and turned to see a patient staring at him.

         “What?”

          “I’d spend all 9 lines with you.”

 His eyebrows furrowed together at first and then his face lit up and he chuckled.

         “What’s your name?” The patient whispered weakly and offered a wry smile.

         “Thor. And yours?”

         “Loki…” He closed his eyes and let his head fall to the side, though the smile never left his lips.

         “Just remember that so you’ll know what to scream later.” 

Thor immediately felt his face turn scarlet. He stared in astonishment. 

         “I, uh. Excuse me?”

There was no response.

The smile that was once on Loki’s lips vanished. Thor stopped breathing for a second, and then he was scrambling to the stranger’s side. 

         “Hey! Hey! Stay with me!”

Loki’s eyes slowly fluttered opened as he was being shaken. Thor didn’t realize how close he had gotten to the other until he could see his own reflection in those vibrant, emerald green eyes. His breath faltered for a second. 

         “Oh… You have beautiful eyes. Blue, like a clear sky.” The stranger’s voice was quiet, and Thor was surprised that Loki didn’t comment on how loudly his heart was beating since he was sure that was the only other sound in the room.

         “Excuse me, who are you?” Another voice suddenly interjected from behind that made Thor quickly move away from the bed.

When he turned around, he came face to face with a petite looking woman. Blonde locks of hair seemed to perfectly frame her face and spill down her shoulders like a golden shower, and a pair of soft, blue eyes looked at him curiously. She possessed a beauty and aura that made Thor feel like she was from another realm, so naturally the only thing he could do was stutter and let out incomprehensible sounds.

         “I’m just… another patient.” Thor finally managed to say. 

         “I got hit by a car.” He added like an idiot. 

The woman gasped inaudibly and her whole countenance softened. 

         “So you’re the other one who got hit…” Her sentence trailed off as she looked past Thor.

         “Oh, Loki! You’re awake!” The woman quickly rushed to Loki’s side. 

         “Sigyn…”

         “How are you feeling?”

         “Dizzy…”

         “Oh, Loki…It must be the medicine that’s making you feel dizzy. Rest more, and if you need anything just call for me. I’ll be right here.” Sigyn grasped Loki’s hand and squeezed her eyes tightly. 

         “Alright, well I’ll be going then…” Thor started to uncomfortably turn away when Sigyn pressed her lips to Loki’s cheek. He felt out of place in the whole scenario, but at least he knew who Loki was now.

         “Wait! What happened?” Sigyn looked at Thor with wide eyes that made his knees feel weak.

Thor cleared his throat.

         “I’m not really sure… I just happened to be passing when I saw…” He gestured with his cast toward Loki, whose eyes were closed again.

         “He was just standing in the middle of the street so when I saw this car coming I tried to push him out of the way.”

Thor immediately felt the uncomfortable pressure in the room build up when Sigyn’s lip began to quiver and her eyes started to water. He awkwardly shifted his weight from one leg to the next when the woman unexpectedly hugged him.

         “Thank you for saving him… The doctor was telling me when I first got the call that Loki could’ve… Loki could’ve not been here with us anymore if it had been a direct hit.” She began to sob into Thor’s hospital gown.

Awkward as things already were, Thor hesitantly brought his free hand to her back so he could give her a reassuring rub.

         “Then I’m, uh, glad.” He cleared his throat again.

         “Well I better get going. I’m sure the nurses are going crazy trying to figure out where I am.”

         “Okay, thank you again. If you need anything as well, please don’t hesitate to look for me. I’m Sigyn.”

         “Thor.” He nodded his head and pressed his lips into a crooked smile.

Upon leaving the room, Thor gave a great sigh of relief. Talk about meeting the world’s strangest couple. First being randomly flirted with by a man who possibly had a death wish, and second meeting a woman so beautiful that he was literally rendered speechless. A part of him never wanted see those two ever again, but a peculiar feeling in his gut told Thor that that wasn’t likely.

Tired, confused, and still a bit uncomfortable by the whole incident, the blond returned to his room and fell back to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

            “Are you sure you feel fine? If you’re still feeling any discomfort you don’t have to check yourself out. Ms. Potts already said that we don’t have to worry about the hospital expenses so if you need to say a couple of more days…” Jane gently squeezed Thor’s free hand while the two waited at the counter.

            “Jane, I’m okay. I feel marvelous! Maybe even better than ever! It’s not often you recover after getting hit by a car.”

Jane sighed, but she couldn’t help but smile when Thor continued to wiggle his eyebrow at her.

            “What about the other guy?” Thor suddenly asked.

            “The other guy? Oh! I think his name was L…”

            “Loki.” Thor finished the word before Jane could.

            “Right, Loki. I think his hospital expenses are going to be covered too, but his injuries were more serious than yours so he won’t be discharged for at least another week or so. I’m not entirely sure though, I didn’t visit him…”

            “I see.”

For Thor, life returned to normal quickly. His two-week absence from society was easily glossed over considering the fact that he didn’t have a job to miss. Everything returned to commonplace with Jane working hard at the nearby university and with Thor lounging in their shared apartment as he sifted through newspapers in search of a new job opportunity.

            “Still no luck?” Jane asked from the hidden hallway.

Thor set his mug down and tore his attention away from the papers. He stood up from the table and sauntered to where Jane was putting on her shoes.

            “Not yet. Maybe all the jobs got snatched up these past few days. It probably doesn’t help that I still have this thing.” He looked down at his cast.

            “I’m sorry.” His voice dipped, and a look of defeat crept onto his features.

            “Silly, what are you sorry for? It’s not your fault, and if anything it’d make me feel better if you rested until your cast came off.” Jane stood up when she was finished and wrapped her arms around his neck. 

            “You know I can’t just stay indoors all day, I would go crazy. And cast or no cast, I’ve always been job hunting. It’s not a stable lifestyle that you’re keeping with me.”

Jane rolled her eyes and laughed.

            “Well it’s the lifestyle I chose to live when we started dating, and I don’t mind at all.”

            “You’re too good for me.” Thor frowned.

            “That’s nonsense and you’re nonsense.” Jane smiled and leaned up to kiss him.

            “Mmhm…” Thor hummed happily into their kiss.

He snaked his free arm around her waist and held her there to kiss until the both of them started to run out of air. Jane finally broke away with a panting laugh, her cheeks flushed and her eyes gleaming.

            “Alright, I better get going now. I know it’ll be another month and a half until that cast comes off, but hang on until then. And there’s always the librarian offer at the university in the meanwhile. You could do that job with a cast, and you’re still a popular hit.”

This time it was Thor who rolled his eyes.

            “I’m not going back there. I would prefer not to have kids take pictures of me and post them online when I’m asleep. It’s not my fault being around books makes me tired… Is that blog deleted by any chance?”

            “You’re just too handsome for the girls to handle.” Jane teased and kissed the blond on the cheek. 

            “You can handle me though.” Thor winked and slowly lowered his hand from her waist.

            “Thor… I have to go now.”

Thor whined slightly when Jane stopped his wandering touch. She giggled and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek once more.

            “But maybe we can continue this later tonight… and I’m pretty sure the blog is rising in popularity on campus.”

Jane laughed and left before Thor could make any comments. After smiling to himself for a few seconds about thinking how lucky he was to have someone like Jane in his life, Thor decided he was going to get himself a job by the end of the day.

            “Excuse me!! Thor?” A shrill voice called out to him from the crowds of people pushing along the busy New York sidewalk.

Thor stopped in his tracks and stood firm while people shoved by. Towering above most passersby, he scanned the passing faces for anyone familiar.

            “I knew it was you!” A woman bumped into his chest. 

            “Sigyn?”

            “You remember my name! It’s been a while since I last saw you! You look well, when did you get discharged?” The blonde gave him a polite smile before looking away at the people passing by.

            “Four days ago.”

            “That’s wonderful! You do look much better than last time we met! Uhm, are you busy right now? I really hate to bother you, but I’m in the middle of rehearsals so I shouldn’t even be here… but Loki is still in the hospital and I was going to visit him briefly to deliver this. I really have to go back though, could you give this to him for me?” Sigyn offered him a small, mint green bag with the word ‘LADURÉE’ printed on it in shiny gold.

            “Oh, no. I’m not busy… sort of. Uh, alright, I can do that.” After taking the bag and receiving a brief thanks, Thor and Sigyn went their separate ways.

Thor drummed his fingers against the smooth countertop he had waited at just a couple of days prior while he was checking himself out of the hospital. He looked at the clock on the wall before heaving a sigh. He didn’t like idling around and if this wasting of time persisted any longer, he was going to return to his apartment as jobless as he had left it. Pushing his weight off the counter, Thor helped himself to the elevator. His memory wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t recall where he was staying during his hospitalization, but chances that he ran into a nurse who recognized him and might ask how he was doing, thus further wasting his precious time to find a job, were high enough so that the blond had to constantly be looking at the various signs on the wall in an attempt to avoid looking at people.

At last the male reached the familiar room he had spent two weeks in, though his name was removed on the outside placard. And if he just walked a little bit more down the hallway and turned down this specific corner…

_‘Laufeyson, L.’_

The poor guy. Thor wondered how much longer this Loki individual needed to stay inside the confines of the room, and for some reason when he turned the handle and pushed the door open, a sense of apprehension gripped him.

When Thor entered the room the first thing that caught his eye, or the _only_ thing, were the bountiful assortment of flowers scattered all around the room. He almost laughed at the sight of how many flowers there were, thinking that if it weren’t for the individual sitting with a sling around his arm and bandages wrapped around multiple parts of his body, Thor might as well have just walked into a local flower shop.

            “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

Thor was surprised at the dry and cold remark. It was definitely a great contrast from when he first stumbled into the room.

            “I’m Thor, we’ve met before. Briefly.”

Loki peered at him with hard, inquisitive eyes.

            “I can’t recall.”

            “Uhm…” Thor stared at Loki in awkward silence for a few seconds before finally holding up the reason he had come.

            “Sigyn told me to give this to you.”

Thor was even more shocked when Loki leaned back into his pillow with a very visible expression of pain scribbled on his face. Just as Thor was about to ask if Loki was okay and needed him to call a nurse, the other male begrudgingly gestured toward the bedside table.

            “She’s been bothering me with all of this.” Loki motioned again, this time toward the evident amount of flowers in the room.

            “Oh.” Thor pressed his lips into a thin line.

He set the bag down on the table and then frowned. He was confused. The interaction he had witnessed between him and Sigyn did not mirror what he was observing right this very second. This Loki seemed more grim and… cold. Thor wasn’t even sure if the first time he slipped into Loki’s room had happened, with all the flirting and vulnerability that the man seemed to emanate before. He scratched the back of his neck with his right hand, pretending to be oblivious to the fact that Loki was staring daggers at him.

            “Is that all?” Loki finally breathed with an irritated sigh.

            “Huh?”

            “Are you done with your business here? The door is where you left it.”

Thor’s eyebrows knit together. Just as he was about to turn to leave, he spun back to face the other.

            “Do you not remember me?”

            “Should I?” Loki responded curtly while he reached over to take a look at the contents of Sigyn’s gift.

            “Not really, I guess… Are you okay?”

Loki stopped his searching and looked up at him. Those inhumanely, green eyes pierced a look through Thor that made his throat constrict and his lungs stop expanding.

            “I’m perfectly fine. Did you need something else?”

It took Thor a moment to recover his breath, but when he did a shiver trickled down his spine.

            “No. I, uh. It’s just when we first met you were—actually, never mind. It’s nothing.” Thor turned to leave, half expecting the other to stop him or maybe thank him for delivering Sigyn’s gift or tell him to thank Sigyn for the gift or _something_.

Nothing.

Thor slipped out of the room without any sort of resistance. He shook his head a bit as if shaking out of the uneasy atmosphere Loki’s room possessed. Now that _that_ was done and over, Thor was _positive_ he wouldn’t have to deal with Sigyn or Loki ever again. All he had to focus on now was finding a job, but who would ever want to hire a guy with a bulky cast and almost no other work experience?


	6. Chapter 6

            “Hi, would you like to sample this perfume?” Thor plastered on a smile as he spoke to no one in particular, and held up a petite looking, glass bottle of perfume.

Shoppers continued to pass by without giving Thor a second glance, and ten more minutes of this finally made him drop the smile entirely and haphazardly toss the bottle onto the small sales table. He was just about ready to leave and quit the job on the spot until he spotted a familiar face among the crowd.

            “FRIEND!” Thor’s voice boomed as a smile lit up on his face.

Several strangers looked toward him, and only one looked as terrified as Thor was glad.

            “BANNER! I haven’t seen you in ages, how are you!” Thor left his station and hurried to where the scientist was.

            “Thor…I’m great, how are you?” Bruce offered an uncomfortable smile, nervous eyes shifting to return all the looks people were exchanging with him, as Thor crushed him in a side hug.

            “Great! I mean as great as you can live with this thing!” Thor lifted his immobilized left arm.

            “Oh, yeah… Jane told me about that. When does it come off?”

            “In few days, actually! I’ve been in _agony_ having to do everything with just one hand.”

Bruce hesitated before replying, scrunching his nose a bit as he processed Thor’s remark.

            “Regardless, you’re here now! It’s been a while, how come you haven’t visited?” Thor spoke first.

            “Oh, uh.” Bruce stammered and clutched the package he was holding to his chest.

           “What’s that you have there?”

            “Nothing! It’s nothing.”

Thor howled with laughter and loosened his grip around the smaller man so he could pluck the package from Banner’s arms.

            “Hey, hey hold up!” Bruce started to protest, but it was futile to try to grapple with the towering man.

            “My dearest Natalia…” Thor started to say, and then he stopped when a bone-rattling laugh erupted from his lips. “Are you referring to Natasha? Doesn’t she dislike being referred to as Natali—”

            “She’s fine with it. I checked.”

Thor barked another laugh and then not-so-lightly slapped the other on the back with the gift.

            “Well what’s the occasion? Betrothal?”

            “No, and—” Bruce’s face immediately flushed with red, though he took his chance to snatch the package back from Thor.

            “Be careful with this! Her birthday is coming up.”

            “Birthday?” Thor repeated and brought his free hand to his chin as if he were piecing together a puzzle with his mind.

Bruce’s face quickly drained of all color the moment he could see Thor start to understand the implication behind the gift. The scientist’s former hopes of celebrating privately were dashed when Thor’s face finally lit up.

            “Then let us celebrate together! I have not seen you both in a long time!”

* * *

Natasha’s face beamed bright red with content after chugging down the tall glass of beer. Thor gave a sigh of satisfaction when he finished downing all the contents of his drink too. Bruce and Jane simply continued to sip their drinks at a moderate pace, calm eyes observing their wild counterparts.

            “So you’re telling me that this big-shot Tony Stark ran you over right after you got fired? Talk about a stroke of bad luck.” Natasha gave a quick laugh, her ruby lips curving into a devious smile.

Thor nodded casually and popped a french-fry into his mouth.

            “And who was the other poor sap that made you so valiantly jump out? Must’ve had some killer looks. You better watch out, Jane, before your precious teddy bear is stolen from you.” Natasha snickered and then playfully nudged the other woman.

Thor laughed in reaction and then cupped his hand on top of Jane’s, as if to reassure her that he wouldn’t leave her.

            “It was just some guy.”

            “Did he seem kind of…” Bruce suddenly spoke up and twirled a finger above his head.

            “Like what?” Thor began, staring at his friend’s gesture with confusion. “Oh! You mean crazy?” He barked a quick laugh. “Well when I first visited him in the hospital he flirted with me.”

Natasha sputtered on her new drink and shot a look across the table to Jane.

            “No no, he was just too medicated to understand what he was doing. The second time I visited him—”

            “When did you go to see him again?” Jane raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips.

            “Oh, uh, just a few days ago. I ran into his girlfriend and she asked if I could deliver something to him.”

Jane narrowed her eyes for a moment and a brief silence fell over the four of them.

            “Well anyways, let’s talk about what we really came here for! Celebrating my birthday and the coming off of Thor’s cast!” Natasha grinned and held up her drink for a toast.

            “Excuse me, could you bring my friends here and me another round of beers?” Thor stopped a man passing by.

            “BUCKY?!” Natasha shot up from her seat and quickly shuffled over Bruce’s lap to get out of the booth. “I didn’t know you worked here! When did you get back into town?”

            “I don’t work here.” Bucky replied gruffly and frowned.

Thor visibly paused, processing the statement Bucky made, and then stood up to clap a hand on Bucky’s shoulder.

            “My apologies, friend! I guess you just have the look of a waiter.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow at his comment, and then rolled his shoulder a bit so that Thor’s hand would slip off.

            “I’ve been back for around two months. Do you remember Steve? I'm here with him.”

            “From Manhattan? Tall blond? Handsomer than this blond?” Natasha flashed an even wider grin as she nudged Thor.

Bucky gave Thor a quick look from his toes to his hair and then pressed his tongue against his cheek. 

            “No one can beat Steve in my eyes.” He finally replied and even looked a bit flustered when Natasha cooed loudly just for the sake of annoying him.

            “Speak of the Devil.” Natasha gave a final pat on Bucky’s shoulder as if wishing him good luck.

            “Bucky, where have you been? I was starting to think you got lost on the way back from the bathroom.” Steve easily slipped an arm around Bucky’s waist before looking at the several pairs of eyes now glued to him.

            “Steve Rogers! Do you remember me?” Natasha was the first pair of eyes to step up to the plate and introduce herself. The two exchanged a brief handshake, thus triggering the line the introductions.

            “Bruce Banner. I’m with Natasha. We’re, uh…” The scientist paused and glanced at Natasha with a puzzled look.

            “We’re experimenting.” Natasha jumped in with a perky laugh.

            “Jane Foster. I work with Bruce, it’s nice to meet you!” Jane stood up next to give Steve a shake and a warm smile.

            “Thor Odinson.” He winked when it finally got to his turn. “I’m fr—” He started to continue, but then Steve’s sudden shock made him bite his words down.

            “Odinson! I know that name! Tony said that he, uhm, sort of hit a guy by that name. Are you _that_ Odinson?”

            “Yes! I am _that_ Odinson! I’m not too familiar with big hot-shots like this Tony you speak of, but I can confirm that he did hit me.” Thor’s face lit up from the recognition and he shook Steve’s hand even harder.

            “He didn’t hit you _too_ hard, did he?” Steve gave him an anxious smile, his eyes narrowing a bit.

            “He’s fine now.” Jane unexpectedly answered. She moved out of the booth and placed a gentle hand on Thor’s upper arm before walking away.

Thor immediately frowned, watching Jane disappear through the door out of the pub.

            “Excuse me.” He grabbed his jacket off the booth, gave Natasha and Bruce a brief nod, and then promptly exited.

            “Jane? What’s wrong?” Thor slipped his arms into the jacket and fished the car keys out of his pocket.

            “I don’t think it’s right that they are acting so nonchalant about it.” She huffed.

            “What are you talking about?”

            “That man! Was he trying to make a joke out of it? You seriously could’ve been killed, Thor.” Jane wrapped her arms across her chest, not bothering to face Thor directly, and then crossed the street to their car.

            “Jane, wait!” Thor followed suit, careful to make sure that no cars were passing before he crossed. “It’s all in the past now, okay? My cast is off, all the hospital fees are paid for, and everything is fine.”

            “You could’ve **died** , Thor! And ever since you were in the hospital, I didn’t even get one _glimpse_ of Tony Stark. You would think that maybe he would drop by or something just to check in on you?”

            “Jane…” Thor’s voice softened and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “I think you’re overreacting. I’m fine now. Seriously.”

            “You just don’t get it, do you?!” Jane suddenly had tears streaming down her face. “Just because he’s Tony Stark doesn’t mean that he can throw money at you and then think everything is okay! And what about the other guy! Loki, right? What if he had a family or something? What if he had kids and a loved one waiting for him, but he couldn’t come home anymore because he was _killed_!!!”

            “Jane, thinking like that isn’t going to do you any good.” Thor frowned, his voice turning stern.

Jane let out a sob before scoffing in disbelief.

            “We’ve been dating for almost two years now. You mean a lot to me, Thor, and when I got that call saying you were involved in an accident, I was so **scared**. I was scared that you weren’t going to come back to me, and I hated thinking like that, but that was the first thing my mind jumped to when I got that call. I know I’m being selfish for acting like this because I just wanted to know that you were going to be okay... and you are! Thank God you are, but… I don’t want to be angry for you, Thor. I know this is all done and over with in your mind, but I was just so. Scared.”

Thor remained speechless for a moment, and then he shifted his other arm around Jane so that he could bring her into a full embrace.

            “I’m sorry.” He murmured at first, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “I didn’t know you felt so worried for me, I really don’t deserve you.”

Jane groaned in response, shaking under his arms.

            “Let’s just go home.”

* * *

Thor couldn’t sleep well for the remainder of the evening. Even after Jane had calmed down and she was sleeping serenely next to him, a strange emptiness filled his chest. By the time he could see the first hints of light streak across the sky and peek out from behind the window curtains, Thor finally dragged himself out of bed. He kissed Jane’s forehead after he had cleaned up and gotten dressed, leaving her with a quiet, “I’m going to go job hunting again, I’ll see you later tonight.” 

Not sure where to go or what to think, Thor stopped to get some coffee before finding himself in front of the hospital. He feet led him to the hospital room he had been in a few times before, and he entered when he heard the muffled “Come in” after his knock.

            “It’s you again.” Loki mused, his brilliant eyes searching Thor’s face when he entered. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” The words came out calm and collected, no feeling of warmth whatsoever.

Thor shifted in his spot, fingers thrumming against the coffee cup in his hand.

            “I’m not very sure myself.” He mumbled mainly to himself, though his response was loud enough for Loki to hear.

            “Take a seat.” Loki finally said after a brief, contemplative silence. “You’re troubled.”

Thor was surprised by the other man’s words. Not a question. A statement of fact.

He sat down in the plastic chair that faced the hospital bed and placed his cup on the floor.

            “How did you know?”

Loki raised his shoulders in a half-hearted shrug before replying.

            “Do you find yourself close enough to me that you trust spilling forth all your troubles and secrets?”

Thor gently gnawed on his tongue as he thought of an answer.

            “It’s strange,” He began. “I feel like we’ve met before.”

            “Well we have. Twice in fact, according to what you told me last time you came.”

Thor closed his eyes and shook his head.

            “No, I mean before that.” His eyes remained closed, and the two slipped into a peculiar silence before Loki quietly cleared his throat.

            “You must’ve seen one of the performances.”

            “Performance?” Thor opened his eyes to find Loki staring directly at him, sending a shiver down his spine.

            “Ballet.” Loki said bluntly, his eyes dulling at the word.

Thor leaned back into the chair, the plastic creaking under his weight. _Ballet_. Now that he thought about it, he did remember going to see a performance once with Jane when they first started dating. Jane had expressed a delightful interest in watching, so naturally Thor couldn’t reject when she held up the tickets. He couldn’t quite recall what the main story of the performance was, but he did remember being captivated by the lithe figures crossing the stage so elegantly. Thor remembered that their seats were off to the side and a little ways away from the stage, but even with their seating, he swore he could see the fine details of each costume. The beads of sweat that glistened on the exposed skin of each dancer, illuminating and shining like brilliant jewels under the intense stage lights.

Thor’s breath caught in his throat when a new individual glided into the spotlight. He could immediately pick up on the certain masculinity the dancer emanated, yet disguised skillfully with each graceful move. Thor shifted in his seat restlessly, his attention completely enthralled with the dancer. He could see the taut, well-defined muscle under the thin fabric of the dancer’s tights, strength that was coiled tightly and released just the perfect amount so that each move was carefully executed with incredible precision and poise. The dancer’s slender and long arms extended outward, as if reaching toward Thor, and then waved away when a new dancer came along.

            “Beautiful…” He remembered Jane whispering the word the same moment he thought it. He could never do it. Graceful beauty and flexibility. It seemed foreign and difficult to Thor, yet it was right in front of him to watch and to treasure. His eyes continued to drink up the remainder of the performance, and his thoughts never left the image of the one dancer who made him feel so strange inside.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **06/07/17** : Thank you for your patience! I'm currently traveling for the vacation time so updates will be even more sporadic and less than before  
> I know there's already barely any so I truly truly appreciate your patience!!! (｡•́︿•̀｡)

            “Loki.”

The man did not reply to his name, but Thor could tell he was listening, even if Loki’s eyes were closed.

            “Why didn’t you move that night?”

Thor watched Loki, half expecting the other to have some sort of reaction to his question. He was not too surprised when there wasn’t any. They were immersed in silence, a stillness that Thor found himself experiencing almost every day now as he came to visit the hospital. At last, Loki’s eyes fluttered opened, followed by a dry sigh.

            “Why did you attempt to push me out of the way?” 

Thor hesitated for a beat before he spoke.

            “I wanted to help you.” 

            “Did it look like I needed help?”

            “I,” Thor started, the guttural noise reverberating deep in his throat. 

            “Why do you come visit me?” Loki excused the lapse in response, deciding to move the conversation in a different direction. 

Thor adjusted his position in the chair, which over the days had gradually moved closer to the hospital bed.

            “I’m not sure.” He finally stated.

            “Does your woman not please you?” 

            “W-What?” Thor stammered out the question and began to interlock his fingers together.

Loki exhaled deeply through his nose, annoyed by Thor’s slow grasp on things. 

            “The day you came in looking troubled. It was about a woman, was it not?”

Thor changed his position again, an uneasy feeling rising in his mind.

            “I don’t think I’m good enough for her. I feel like she is just tolerating my presence. She must think I am pitiful.” 

            “Perhaps,” Loki commented without hesitation. “However I do not think visiting another man so often while you neglect her is going to help.”

A faint, unexpected blush crept up Thor’s neck and into his cheeks. He looked into his lap like an ashamed child being scolded. 

            “Are you sexually attracted to me?”

Thor snapped his head up to look at Loki. Those vibrant, unfeeling eyes pierced through him. His stomach lurched. Before Thor could even stumble through a semi-coherent answer let alone organize his thoughts, Loki reached for the crutches near his bedside.

            “Do not drag me into your love life, even if it’s unintentional. I don’t want to deal with any more burdens than what I have now.” Loki spoke sharply, staggering to his feet with the aide of the crutches.

Thor shot up from his seat to help stabilize the other, and Loki froze when Thor placed a hand on his arm.

            “I-I’m not. I’m straight. It’s just that… you’re different. Talking to you puts my mind at ease, even if I’m the one doing all the talking.”

Loki’s mouth curved into a twisted smirk.

            “Keep telling yourself whatever makes you feel better.”

No matter how much Thor secretly willed for Loki to stay, it seemed that the man was repulsed in an equally and opposite force. His limbs went numb as Loki unsteadily walked away from him, leaving Thor feeling strangely broken in a hospital room that wasn’t even meant for him.

* * *

Thor stopped visiting the hospital after that, and time continued to unravel and smooth over the bumps in Thor’s life. He was still slightly bothered by the peculiar vacancy that continued to inhabit his chest, but everything else was filled with Thor putting all his effort in keeping the new, old job he was relieved to get back.

            “I’ll have what he’s having.”

Thor looked up from his glass polishing, giving the woman a brief nod. He kept mainly to himself nowadays while on duty, no longer trying to entertain the drunken guests, strangers, and lovers who sat on the sticky barstools day in and day out. His mind wandered to other things while he poured the liquid into its glass, and just when his attention bordered on the topic of his father leaving him a voicemail that morning, Thor was genuinely surprised to see Loki sitting at the counter.

He slid the drink to the woman who asked, exchanging with her a few crumpled bills. Jamming the dollars into his pocket, Thor grabbed a clean glass and approached Loki.

            “You look… well.”

Loki’s eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch in amusement when Thor came to him and initiated conversation.

            “A small world we live in.” Loki muttered.

Thor set the empty glass down in front of the two of them.

            “Let me treat you… and whoever you might be here with tonight.”

            “I’m alone.” Loki replied quickly. Quietly.

This time Thor’s eyebrows lifted. He was about to make a joke about it, but bit his tongue instead when he saw the slight hint of sadness flash through Loki’s weary face.

            “How have you been these past few months?”

Thor waited patiently for Loki to answer, and turned around briefly to grab a martini glass off the shelf behind him. He occasionally glanced up from his work while Loki stared at something that told Thor he wasn’t entirely present in the bar. Just as Thor finished straining the clear liquid into the chilled glass, Loki finally spoke.

            “Dirty.” 

            “Huh?”

            “I want it extra _dirty_.” Loki nodded his head toward the drink, his voice lowering to a growl. 

Thor’s throat constricted and his gut clenched. He nodded quickly, drank the classic martini he had just poured, and then refilled his shaker so he could start again with the new request. An end of Thor’s shift and four martinis (plus other drinks that Thor drank himself) later, Thor found himself feverishly pressing Loki against the motel door. The other man’s mouth was already swollen and red from the amount of biting and kissing Thor had assaulted him with, but that didn’t make either of them stop.

            “I thought you were straight.” Loki hissed softly when Thor removed his shirt so that he could abuse Loki’s collarbone.

            “I don’t remember saying that.” Thor quickly retorted, moving his wandering lips to Loki’s pale throat so he could draw out a couple of bruises.

Loki just moaned in response when Thor led them to the bed, laying him down so that he could help himself to Loki’s hipbones and waist. Loki was incredibly thin. Thin from lack of eating? Thin from recovery and surgery? Thin from all those years of dancing he poured his life into? Thor was almost afraid that he might break the other man in two with his rough and hungry touches. Loki remained resilient.

            “I’m in love with you.” Thor suddenly said, stopping all advances on indulging himself with the other.

            “You’re drunk.” Loki carefully replied, a clarity swiftly breaking into his eyes. 

            “I can be both.”

Thor grinned at Loki’s loss of words; or perhaps he just hadn’t given the man enough time to reply before Loki’s mouth was filled with resonating moans while Thor’s was filled with Loki himself. Loki arched his back and curled his toes, his body reacting sensitively to each of Thor’s caresses and strokes. The gap that had haunted Thor and kept him wondering why he felt so empty inside was suddenly filled. The very next morning, Thor returned to his apartment with a mirthful glow and shallow scratches down his back.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for sticking around so far, and for your tireless patience!  
> It really means a lot to me when you leave a comment or give this work a kudos, but it really means a lot more to me considering the fact that you've even read one of my works!  
> I am so grateful to have such kind supporters, and I'd just like to thank you all for also bearing with any potential discrepancy in characterization of the various characters I have made!
> 
> Nevertheless, thank you for sticking around and I hope you have a phenomenal remainder of the day!
> 
> P.S. If you have any requests/would like to read about a certain event or AU feel free to leave a comment or message me on my [Tumblr](http://solotrooper.tumblr.com)!


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